Hot Blood
by ritualstone
Summary: Bella tries to convince Jacob that she doesn’t have romantic feelings for him. His wolf senses know otherwise. Mature audiences only. Straddles the line of non-consent.
1. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

It's been quite a few years since I've written anything on Fanfiction. I hope you enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think!

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Jacob paced back and forth in front of me, running his grease-smeared hand though his short locks, yanking hard at the ends.

"I'm exactly right for you, Bella! You just won't get out of your own way enough to accept it!"

My heart skipped a beat as the wrench he was holding sailed through the stifling air of the garage, landing with a crash atop a large pile scrap metal. I flinched and my chest filled with anxiety as he tried to calm himself down, inhaling deep breaths in through his nose and shakily releasing them through barely parted lips. He was teetering on the edge. That much was obvious. But this was Jacob... my best friend. He would never hurt me.

It had been only a few days since we had last spoken, since he told me he needed time alone to think. Since he had kissed me in the dim light of my front porch, only to be rejected with my less than damaging right hook. I rubbed subconsciously at the phantom pain in my wrist.

"Jacob... I've told you before. You know how important you are to me, just not in that way" I pleaded as I looked him in the face, just below his eyes "I'm with Edward. I.. I love him. You need to respect that."

The sides of his jaw bulged as he clenched his teeth together, followed by an amused snort and rolling eyes. "I don't fucking buy it. You can't even look me in the eyes when you say it. How do you expect me to believe you feel nothing for me when it's so clear that even you don't believe it."

I gasped with indignation, feeling a hot tinge start to creep into my cheeks. "How dare you!" I stood up from my seat on the overturned crate and took a shaky step in his direction. "Don't project your fantasies onto me, Jacob Black! You can't just convince yourself something's true because you WANT it to be! I do love Edward! He is everything to me!" I was looking up directly into his eyes now.

Only the eyes staring back at me were strange... different. They weren't the eyes of my best friend. They were now darker, more feral. He shook his head back and forth briefly like a tick, almost like he was trying to shake an unwelcome thought from his mind. For a moment the outline of his shoulders appeared to vibrate. His eyes clamped shut, knuckles on his squeezed fists turned white. The wolf... the Alpha... he was too close to the surface... The pull was too strong, too consuming. I should go...

Then, as quickly has he has started to lose control, his body visibly relaxed. I let out a fast and relieved breath. That was close... His breathing sounded more even and his heavy lids opened slowly. Thank god, my Jacob... his eyes lifted to meet mine. And yet, The black eyes still remained. His neck dropped into a curious lupine tilt...

Shit. The wolf had won.

He stalked toward me with painfully slow steps. Like a predator locked onto pray. One foot creeping in front of the other, head curving to dip to opposite side. We were close enough now that I could see that thin yellow sliver of glow rim his black onyx orbs.

I didn't realize I had been backing up until the backs of my thighs hit Jacob's toolbox. My heart seized in my chest and I tried with every fiber not to let the panic spreading like wildfire reach my face. It's true, Jake would never hurt me, but I was no longer sure how much of him I was dealing with...

I now found myself nose to chest with a very broad and very... masculine body. I could see the muscles flex and clench beneath his paper thin and greasy white tee shirt. The scent of pine and earth and salt entered my nostrils, invading my brain and clouding every thought. Unable to get my legs working I knew I needed to say something, get through to my Jacob, shake him from the hold of the Alpha and instinct. I opened my mouth to speak, but all moisture was gone from my tongue.

Before I could blink, strong hands roughly grabbed the underside of my legs and bottom lifting me on top of the tool box, the force slamming my spine and head against the wall behind me... causing my vision to swim and my pulse to drum loudly in my ears. My thighs were held open wide in Jacob's forceful grip and he pushed his body forward. He didn't stop until he was pushed up right against my core, his head bent low facing my neck.

"You can deny your feelings all you want in words" he whispered low and dangerously into into my ear, "but don't you fucking pretend that I can't sense how your body reacts to me."

He removed his hands from my thighs and placed them against the wall on either side of my head, against the Ferrari poster tacked to the siding. He kept his body wedged hard to hold me place.

"You think I can't hear your heart pounding under that shirt?" His voice was powerful but seductive as he drug his thumb slowly across the top of my cleavage. "You think I can't see the goosebumps rising on your skin from a mile away, Bella?" He breathed against the shell of my ear. His faced scrunched into a look of anguish and determination as his fingers crunched the poster beneath. "You think I can't FUCKING smell you? Your arousal is so thick in this room I can fucking taste it." He hissed through gritted teeth.

"Jake... I... please.." My chest was heaving. My cheeks painted with a shameful blush. I felt paralyzed with fear. I felt so angry that my body wasn't siding with my head. That it was giving ammunition to this feral male pressing into my body. This behavior was wrong! It was dangerous, to my relationship with Edward, and to my safety. I didn't have the security of knowing the man in front of me inside and out. This Jacob was new and... uncontrolled. Running on power and instinct. He had only taken over Alpha less than a month ago and the fire inside was still so unfamiliar to us both.

"That's right, Bells." His hand came down grab my outer hip, thumb dipping in to trace the crease of my groin... so close... "I could feel the heat from your pussy before I even touched you. I can hear your lips sliding against your panties, and I know that they're swollen and soaking for me. You. Can't. Hide it from me."

Tears rolled openly down my face and I panted like I had just run a marathon. My body shook from head to toe. My center throbbed and I hated myself for pushing it softly forward into the zipper of his jeans, aching for any kind of pressure.

I felt the rumble of a dark chuckle against my forehead which now rested against Jake's chest, where I desperately tried to shelter my shame from his knowing eyes.

"You're done fighting it, Bells." He spoke with conviction as he reached between us for the top button of his pants, the back of his knuckles barely grazing my bundle of nerves through my leggings. Breath hitched in my throat as a new batch of tears spilled over and sluiced through familiar streams. The trace of the moan leaving my lips so faint that even I couldn't hear it, but it didn't go unnoticed past superhuman ears. Jake's dark eyes sparkled into mine as he roughly shoved his jeans down a few inches.

"Yo Jake, you in here ma—?" Sam Uley's voice carried through the garage. The heavy door scraped across the ground as he budged it open. His question was chopped short as he took in the scene before him. Jake... caging me against the wall, pants undone and hung dangerously low on his hips. Eyes yellow and obviously way more wolf than man. Me... cowering beneath him, face puffy with tears and shaking in terror... and maybe something else.

Sam took a deep breath through his nose, his eyes widening slightly as he undoubtedly took in my potent scent and the raw sexual nature of its musk. He recovered quickly, realizing that the moment he just witnessed was most likely less than consensual.

"JAKE!" Sam bellowed "You need to back the fuck off RIGHT fucking now." His eyes darting rapidly between Jake and myself, readying his stance to jump in and restrain him if necessary.

The Alpha's head snapped toward Sam, recognizing the authority that still lingered in the voice of his new beta. Jake's eyes drifted back to me and then down to his crotch, where the two of our bodies were still pressed together, the front of his jeans dark where I had soaked them through. When his eyes again reached mine, they were no longer black and hungry, but a warm brown that I was so used to looking at. The ones that belonged to my oldest friend.

Jake's face turned a sickly white as he launched himself from the wall and away from my body, leaving me chilled without his extraordinary heat. He shook his head from side to side in disbelief as his own consciousness regained its footing. He sucked in air like a dying fish as the realization of what he was about to do washed over his features. He looked upon my tear stained face in absolute agony... He had almost raped the love of his life against a cold wall in his garage as she trembled in fear begging him to stop. Who was he now? What was this fucking monster inside of him?!

"Bella..." he whispered as his fingers ached to reach toward my face and sooth wound he has just ripped open.

"...FUCK!" He yelled more to himself than anyone else as he sprinted from the garage, phasing immediately after clearing the doors and bounding toward the forest.

I sat, unmoving, on the metal toolbox as it continued to cool without Jake's persistant heat pressed so firmly against it. The chill most noticeable between my legs where it touched the large wet spot that had seeped through, exposing everything I felt for Jacob without words.

"Bella..." Sam approached me calmly with his palms up, like I was a wounded animal. He sounded strange, like he was trying hard not to breath through his nose. "Let's get you back to the house. Emily will help you get cleaned up."

I kept my eyes glued on the floor in shame as I lowered myself to the ground. My legs felt wobbly and not my own. The implication of what just happened draped over my shoulders like a weighted blanket, holding me down and making me feel sluggish... exhausted. Overwhelmed. Horrified. Disgracefully aroused.


	2. Aftermath

The wind whipped wildly through my long auburn hair as I ascended the three steps into Sam and Emily's cottage. I willed myself to focus on the way my cheeks burned in the unforgiving air of La Push in November, anything but the despair that was reaching around my sanity, implanting itself into a solid lump in my throat.

I spotted Emily right away, her glossy raven hair draped over Sam's shoulder as they embraced, her calm expression quickly shifting to furrowed brows as he whispered into her ear. Her eyes lifted to my pitiful form in the doorway. She pulled back and held her husband at arms length, searching his face for any indication that she may have misheard. When she found none she rushed to my side in an instant, her face filled with concern. She wrapped a maternal arm around my waist and her other hand came to rest against my cheek, pulling it lovingly against her breast like she would a frightened child.

"Come on, honey. Let's get you into the bathroom." My legs, barely moving of their own accord followed Emily's lead as she kissed my hair and started walking toward the back of the house, supporting my weight in her grip. I could feel her head turn to look at Sam once more. I couldn't see either of their faces, but I knew the look they were sharing must be intense if the energy surrounding us was any indication.

Emily and I squeezed through the narrow bathroom doorway side by side. Once we were inside, she maneuvered my body until I was facing her, lightly pushing on my upper arms until the back of my legs reached the cold porcelain lip of her bathtub shower. My heart fluttered as I remember how Jake had backed me into his toolbox less than an hour earlier, the frigid material licking my fevered skin the same way.

As I sat down, she pulled a small vanity stool for herself so she could sit in front of me. Her soft fingers dipped into my hairline, pushing back the sweaty tendrils and catching my bloodshot eyes in her knowing gaze.

"Are you alright, love?" She questioned, her mouth halfway between a smile and a grimace. "Can you tell me what happened?"

I felt like she could see right through me whether I explained myself or not, having been the mate of an alpha for some time.

I looked down, and Emily's eyes followed mine to the large moist patch at the apex of my light gray leggings.

"One moment Jake and I were arguing. He was trying to get into my head... make me admit that I feel... things... for him. And the next... he just changed. He wasn't himself anymore, he was... the Alpha... aggressive." My voice dropped to a whisper and my eyes hit the floor again "Sexually..." I swallowed thickly "I swear... I didn't mean to like—"

Emily visibly swallowed her anger, sensing that it was not the reaction I needed from her in this moment. She cut me off before I could continue.

"— Listen, Bella. I'm not making any excuses for what Jake did today. His actions were inexcusable and you can believe that Sam and the rest of the pack will tear him a new one once they see how he took advantage of you. But..." She took a deep breathe "I was with Sam at the beginning." A blush barely evident beneath her milky brown skin "Their bodies... undergo a massive change. It's like, they're still themselves, but every thought and action they have are fueled by the most powerful animalistic instinct you can imagine. It grips them so tight, and sometimes they struggle or fail to shake it off. I remember Sam... his hormones raged. One day he was calm and the next... he was like an explosion of emotions, only able to express one feeling at a time. And when he was... turned on... he was consumed by it, you know.. sort of...rough?" She looked like trying to figure out how to form the right words. "Even though I didn't always want to, I was overwhelmed by my need to submit to him... in every way." Her face filled with sympathy. "With all the pheromones pouring out of Jake right now, you have absolutely NO reason to feel ashamed of your physical response to him. Okay? Not in this house."

She eyed the wrap on my wrist.

"Do you need help getting undressed? I have some warm clothes you can change into after a shower." Emily asked.

"No... I'll be okay. And Emily? Thank you so much, for talking to me and for... understanding." I worried this blush was becoming a permanent part of my look.

"Of course, Bella. Regardless of your choices, you will always be family here. I'll go grab a change of clothes and leave them on the toilet seat. And... if you have any questions about this change Jacob's going through, please don't hesitate to ask. I have a lot of personal experience with the subject." She delivered with a sparkling wink and another warm motherly smile as she closed the bathroom door.

I turned the temperature knob of the shower as hot as it would go and steam filled the small enclosure. With a little difficulty, I was able to use one hand to grab the hem of my tee shirt and lift it over my head. I unclasped my bra and did a little shimmy so the straps would fall down and off of my arms. Hooking my thumb into the band of my leggings, I dragged them down my legs along with my panties. The slick evidence of my arousal staring me right in the face. Sure, I had felt excited every time I was intimate with Edward. Butterflies in my stomach and on more than one occasion I've felt my nipples harden and strain against the fabric of my shirt as we kissed. But never have I felt like this. Never have I felt so out of control of my body's.. functions. I blanched at the memory and stepped under the scalding spray, willing it to wash away the past hour along with the moisture between my thighs.

Only after my skin was burned raw did I dry off and pull on the loose tee shirt dress and fuzzy socks Emily had left for me. She must have known her underwear would have been too baggy on my thin frame, but the dress was long enough to cover my modesty and most of my legs.

The bathroom door creaked as I pushed it open and tiptoed to the living room where Emily sat on the couch. She smiled up at my face, handed me a steaming cup of tea and pat per palm against the triangle of cushion between her legs. I sat down and she gathered my wet hair in her hands, guiding a soft brush through the tangled mess as she hummed a soothing tribal melody. I felt my eyes brim with tears at the feeling of love and security that radiated into my body. Emily would be the most incredible mother someday.

I was shaken from my thoughts by the sound of two sets heavy footsteps on the porch.

"You need to leave man, this isn't the time" Sam tried to keep his voice low. "Yes, she's here. She's inside with Emily."

My eyes snapped to the small windows framing the Uley's front door. Through the frosted pane I was able to make out the russet curve of a sculpted lower back, right where it met the waistband of worn blue jeans. If I never saw that shade of denim again after today...

"Step aside Sam. I need to see her... explain what happened, make her understand." I could pick out that sound from a sea of different voices. My pulse started to quicken knowing that nothing but a thin mortal wall parted me from his gaze. Yes I was angry with him, but if I was completely honest with myself, I was more afraid. Afraid of the power he had over me.. a power he shouldn't have but somehow did. I fear that Edward will see right through me the minute I see his face again. That although my soul belongs to the vampire from my dreams, parts of my body, and I'm not sure how many, might belong to very real, very virile wolf... with or without my consent.

"Sam, I know you're trying to look out for her, and I'm grateful. But you're not going to keep me from her. Now, move." Sam had no choice but to bend to the will of his Alpha's timbered command. He shrunk begrudgingly out of Jacob's path and the doorknob turned.

The Alpha's towering form almost dwarfed the doorway where he stood. Had I never really looked at him before? Beaded sweat trailed down the bronzed muscles of his chest, catching in the creases of his lower stomach, channeling them down... down. His arms, veiny and vascular from non-stop running hung heavy at his sides. His thighs thick and sturdy and flexing like a champion horse. Dark brown eyes full of soul and torment pierced my own and made my lips and cheeks go numb.

"Bella..."


	3. Apology

"Bella..." Jake choked out, forehead creased, his emotional pain on naked display. "Please... please let me explai-"

The connection between our eyes suddenly blocked by a feminine figure. Emily's. She moved her body in front of mine like a shield.

"JACOB BLACK!" Her back was turned to me, but from Jake's point of view she must have looked like fury on two legs. "If you think you are going to barge into MY house making demands, after the bullshit you pulled with Bella today, you are out of your fucking mind!"

I don't think I had ever heard her curse before.

"But, Emily, please... I have to -"

"Listen, Jake." She sighed, effectively cutting him off. "I love you. We all do. And believe me, this family understands the change you're dealing with. But Bella doesn't. And after seeing her in the state you left her in this afternoon, freezing and... humiliated. Yes, you do need to speak with her and give her an explanation... but not today. Give her time to collect herself. She will let you know IF and when she's ready to talk." She spoke with eyes narrowed "Now... get the hell out of my house."

He opened his mouth to debate only to be shoved backward by all the force the small native woman could muster. She pushed against his abdomen as she walked forward, and Jacob allowed his body to yield to her weaker human display. With head bowed and shoulders slumped, he retreated from the Uley's entryway. My eyes followed his beautiful brown back until he had moved too far from the house to be seen. Wait... beautiful? What?

I've never felt so confused. I should have been horrified to see his face so soon after what transpired between us in the garage, and on some level I was, but at the forefront of my mind I felt... drawn to him. From the moment I saw his raw form enter the cottage my heart raced with more than just fear. My thighs rubbed against each other under the soft jersey dress and my nipples hardened in an effort to reach closer to him. What the fuck was going on? I wanted to cry, but after the river I'd released today, I'd probably die of dehydration.

I turned toward Emily and Sam, who both still sported protective stances between the door and me.

I cleared my throat "Sam... Emily. Thank you both so much for everything you've done to help me today," I said sheepishly "but it's getting a little late and I need get home. Charlie will be back from work soon and I need to start working on dinner."

Sam was the first to respond; he gave me an intense look as he reached his arm out, the keys to my truck dangling from his fingertips. "I ran and picked it up while you were in the shower. I figured you've probably had... enough of the garage for today."

"I really appreciate that Sam." I thanked him over Emily's shoulder and she wrapped me in her arms one last time.

She whispered into my ear "Remember, you can always call if you have any questions or ever need help... with anything. We protect our own and as far as I'm concerned, you're part of this family." I squeezed her hand and offered a small grateful smile.

My trusty old truck roared to life as I turned the key in the ignition. I took comfort in her familiar vibration against my forehead, as briefly rested it against the steering wheel. One cleansing breath... two...

The drive back was familiar, but just as beautiful as always. Something about the long stretches of beach in La Push felt like a calling home. As I took in the scenic setting, I let my mind drift to Jacob and his face full of remorse. It almost pained me how the Uley's had turned him away. He was so desperate to get to me, to make amends. I was beyond curious to find out what he had to say.

The dim light illuminating a dark gray front door signaled the end of my drive. Charlie's cruiser wasn't in its usual spot in the driveway and I figured his shift must have run long. At least I had more time to throw something together for dinner. I dropped my bag under the entryway table and tossed my keys in the copper trinket dish. A red flashing light on the answering machine caught my attention.

"Hey, Bells, it's Dad. Looks like we're short staffed at the station again so I'm here for the long one. I tried you on your cell a couple times so if you get this at the house just ignore my other messages. I'll probably be back after you're in bed so don't worry about dinner. Love you, kiddo."

I breathed a small sigh of relief at my luck; I really wasn't in the mood to make any small talk over casserole tonight. All I wanted was a good book and my familiar, cozy... safe bed.

I grabbed my backpack off the floor, pulled my cell phone out of the front zipper pocket and headed for the stairs. Two messages from Charlie, as expected, and one missed call from Edward. A small lump formed in my throat as I saw his name illuminated on the screen. Strange... I had never felt anything but elation when I thought about Edward. Usually sparkles dance in my head thinking about his golden eyes and strikingly pale and statuesque physique. What is this feeling washing over me now?

I pressed the callback button and waited nervously as the dial tone played back in my ear.

"Bella, love?" Edward's voice melodic voice called out to me. "Where have you been all day? I'm surprised I haven't heard from you before now."

"Oh… I met up with Angela for lunch. We went to a restaurant in town and got to talking, I completely lost track of time. You know it's been forever since we've seen each other. It was really nice to catch up." I made up on the fly, unsure of why I was even lying to him. He knew Jacob and I were friends. Sure, he knew Jacob had strong feelings for me and wished that I would steer clear completely, but it wouldn't have been unusual for me to stop by the garage.

"I'm actually really drained from all the girl talk, you know?" I chuckled awkwardly "I'll probably just call it an early night. Charlie is on his way home so I'll call you in the morning?"

"Sure, Bella. Is everything okay? You sound a bit uneasy." Edward questioned.

"Yeah, yeah, just tired. I'm getting into bed now. I feel like I can barely keep my eyes open, but I'll talk to you in the morning. Goodnight, Edward." I hung up the phone and flopped down stomach first onto my comforter. For some reason speaking with him put me on edge. It had been a long day. A good night sleep would straighten me out. I opted to keep the soft dress on instead of changing into pajamas.

As I reached for the Jane Austen novel on my nightstand, I heard a small tap against my window. I didn't think much of it at first because it was a windy evening. A second and third tap had the color draining from my cheeks. Only two people I know would come to the window instead of using the front door, and I just said goodnight to one of them. Shivers spread throughout my limbs and I stood up and walked over to the sill. I shoved hard to budge the glass upward and looked down to find a large shirtless figure standing in my yard.

"Bella! Please don't close the window! I need to talk to you. I'm begging you, please let me come up." The turmoil behind his eyes made me forget about my anger momentarily, my heart squeezing in pain for my best friend.

I didn't say anything to him for almost a minute, and then took a step backward as an invitation. Jacob jumped up easily to grab a tree branch over his head, swinging himself up and into the bedroom. For a moment we just looked at each other. He looked torn between tears and anger at himself.

He startled me as he closed the small gap between us and dropped to his knees. He reached his strong arms quickly around my waist and pressed his face into my lower stomach. He took two deep breaths through his nose, scenting me, the way a puppy scents something it loves.

"I'm so sorry honey" his low voice muffled by the fabric of my dress against his mouth. "I never meant to hurt or scare you, I swear." I reached down to cup underneath his jaw, tilting his head back so I could look into his face. He continued "I hate myself for what I did... the things I said. There's no excuse." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I started to get angry because... I knew you loved me and wouldn't say it out loud. And then when I started to smell you get...excited" he licked his lips subconsciously and my face started to heat up "I couldn't shake the wolf off of me. He wanted you so bad. I haven't stopped running since I saw you. Please...please forgive me Bells. I can't lose you... I love you so much." He whimpered, squeezing my heart.

"Jake...I forgive you. But I am so angry with you. You promised you would protect me no matter what. For a moment… I, I really thought you were going to... force me." He dropped his head in shame and tightened his grip around me, afraid I was going to push him away. "Emily told me… how it was for Sam, learning to control his Alpha." I paused for a few seconds, and he held his breath waiting for me to continue. "How it overpowered him sometimes. How he would get aggressive with her. And how she felt an instinct to let him... dominate her."

His eyes snapped back open and widened as he stared me square in the eyes. "Bells. I know I messed up, but I will do everything possible to never hurt you like that again. You won't have to submit to the wolf. Please believe me. I will keep you safe… from everyone. Even me."

I pulled on his upper arms, encouraging him to release me and stand at his full height. He complied but kept me tucked into his arms. It was then that I noticed his cheeks were wet with tears and I smoothed them away with my thumbs. Our bodies were pressed together from knee to chest. Jake caught my gaze and poured every bit of love and promise into me as he could. He leaned his forehead down until it touched mine "Please, don't send me away tonight. I can't be apart from you right now. I was so afraid you'd never speak to me again. The wolf... I... we need. Please let me hold you, protect you. Like I should have."

Even after everything he'd done today, I could tell he was the one who was more afraid, of what I would say, of rejection, of being controlled by the Alpha. He needed to be taken care of. I gave a small nod in his embrace and he let out a shaky sigh, pushing his lips forward to capture mine in a chaste, grateful kiss. I let him. I grabbed his hand and pulled him behind me toward my bed. I yanked the covers back and we both slid in, no more words passing between us. He flicked off the bedside lamp and turned toward me, pulling my head into his chest and wedging his heavy thigh up between my legs. If he knew I was wearing a dress with no panties... he didn't let it me know it. He peppered my face and lips with small kisses of apology until sleep claimed us both.


	4. Resistance

**I think this is my favorite chapter yet. It would mean so much to me if you could toss me a line after reading, let me know if you're enjoying the story. Thanks so much to everyone who's followed so far!**

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I stood alone in the middle of a dark, lush forest. Wind and leaves swirled up around my face, brushing over my eyes, disorienting me.

I had never been this deep in the woods before. A chill crept up my spine and fear started to work its way through every inch of my body. I know that monsters exist in this world, creatures that I could never hope to fight off on my own without protection. I forced myself to bite down my rising panic and get my feet moving, one step in front of the other, searching for a way out of the brush. I looked to my right, and then to my left. Nothing looked familiar. The cloud cover and approaching night only allowed me to see a few feet in any direction. I decided to start walking and just keep moving in a straight line. It had to lead me somewhere eventually, right?

A loud snap in distance broke my concentration. I stood like a statue, trying to listen but only able to focus on the rapid sound of my pulse as it drummed inside my ears. Another snap sounded just behind me, like a branch crunch beneath heavy feet. I launched myself forward, sprinting past trees and through sharp bushes, arms flailing, trying desperately to keep my balance in the dark. Was I still running in a straight line? Am I going in circles? I stopped all movement forward, my neck on a swivel, unsure what the hell I was hoping to see.

"You shouldn't be here." A powerful, deep snarl emerged from somewhere in the shadow. "A little girl in heat all alone... don't you know there are wild men in these woods?"

A sob escaped my lips and I started up running again, only gaining a few yards before slamming face first into a tree. A tree that was surprisingly... warm?

All the air in my body was ripped from my lungs as I slowly lifted my head. Piercing yellow eyes shone down at me. As opened my mouth to scream, a strong, scalding hand moved to cover my lips. Another burning hand came to grasp the back of my neck, pushing me down until my knees slammed against the dirty forest floor.

"Don't be frightened." The Alpha soothed as I stared up at him with wide, glassy eyes. "Your body knows why you're here." He ran a flat palm down the front of his pants, sighing at the contact against the bulge trapped beneath. I trembled and gasped as I felt a drop of arousal trail down my thigh, out of my dress and into his view. He reach forward and wiped it off my leg with his middle finger, then brought his finger up to my lips.

"Open." There was no room to argue. My lips parted with a moan and he rubbed the liquid in a small circle on the top of my tongue. I could hear the low rumble in his chest...

"Bella... BELLA!" My eyes fluttered open to a pitch-black room, a heavy weight on my legs and panting breath in my face. Where was I? My head rolled to the right and the blaring green light of my bedroom alarm clock read 12:30am.

I reached and switched my lamp on to its dimmest setting and took in my surroundings. Jake hovered over me, propped up on two bulging arms, his lower body pressing mine into the mattress. His face was contorted in what appeared to be pain and his cheeks were bright red.

"Jake what's going on?!" I begged him to tell me. Was he hurt? "Jake?"

The last bits of cloudiness from sleep started to leave my head and I noticed some things in my room weren't as they should be. Where was my comforter? The heavy blanket we had gone to sleep beneath was no longer on the mattress. I looked down to investigate and saw my nightdress bunched up around my waist, clutched in Jake's white-knuckled grip... I had nothing on underneath. My legs were spread to accommodate his body, the lips of my vagina open wide where he could see.

"Jake, what the hell?!" I panted up at him. He was clad in only the pair of light blue boxer briefs that he often tied to his leg while he was phased. I was so overwhelmed by his emotion last night; I didn't even notice what he was wearing. As I struggled beneath him, the hem of his underwear caught between our thighs and was pulled downward. To no fault of his own, Jake's massively thick and weeping erection pierced through the hole in the middle of his shorts. The force of it causing the head of his penis to fall heavy, swiping against the entire length of my saturated slit, resting at my opening. He thrust his hips slightly forward out of instinct and my body engulfed his a fraction of an inch.

His feral moan permeated the potent air of my bedroom, and I turned my face hard into his wrist, biting down on it to stifle my own. I looked back up at him and noticed he was shaking all over, not quite like he was going to phase, more like he was trying with everything in him to hold back.

"Bella... please..." his voice was breathy and exhausted. "I can't move. I need you to get out from under me... or I'm going to push forward again. I can't stop... please, help me." He sounded so desperate.

I don't know why but the thought of moving away from this heat made me want to sob, but I quickly tucked underneath his arm and rolled away, adjusting my dress back down to my knees. Noticing my comforter bunched at the foot of the bed, I reached for it and pulled it against my body in an effort to cover up my rigid aching nipples.

When I looked back at the man on my bed he hadn't moved... I wondered if he even could. He was still propped up on both arms; his head hung low, facial features strained. His painful erection jutted from his body, barely kissing the flat surface of my mattress. I'd never seen Jacob naked before...

With great difficulty he began to speak. "You were crying out and thrashing in your sleep. You sounded so frightened so I sat up and tried to wake you. You threw the covers off and started pulling me down on top of you. I thought you had woken up already and wanted to be held. I swear I didn't notice until after that you were naked... exposed. I know you have no reason to trust what I'm saying, but I swear it on my life, Bella."

My mouth opened and closed multiple times to speak, but I was so mortified I couldn't find the words.

"Bella... please. I need you to go get a wet washcloth and wipe yourself off between your legs. The wolf... I can barely fight him right now. He can smell that you're... ripe. He wants to breed you. Stretch you. I would leave right now but I'm afraid what will happen if I move." He looked up at me apologetically with his warm brown eyes. At least they weren't black and yellow.

Even though I had just been so exposed, I actually felt bad for him. He was just as exposed as me right now. "Okay, Jake. It's going to be alright. I'll be right back." I tried to my best not to act judgmental; he couldn't help what was happening to his body.

I cleaned myself up down below, splashed some water on my face, and stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Pull yourself together, he's your best friend, and he needs you right now. You're dating Edward and you love him. Jake is lucky this happened with you, someone who knows him, instead of some stranger on the beach." I whispered to my own face.

I tiptoed back across the hall and into my bedroom. Jake was standing now and I caught his profile as he grabbed his length and pushed it back into his shorts, giving it a firm and final squeeze from the outside. My cheeks warmed up for the thousandth time today. I was really going to have to deal with these hormones one way or another.

Jake caught sight of me in his peripheral vision and turned to face me. He looked remorseful, but somehow unashamed of the rock hard sexual organ in his pants.

"I hate that I keep doing things to you that I need to apologize for, Bells." He walked over to me and grasped my hand, interlocking our fingers. It was obvious that he wanted to embrace me, but didn't trust himself to be that close. "I think we should... take some time." My eyebrows furrowed and he chuckled softly. "I don't want that either, but... my wolf is too drawn to you, in a... dangerous way. I can't risk your safety... or your virginity again." It was Jake who blushed this time. "I will call a meeting with the elders, find out what I can. You'll be the first to know, honey. I promise."

He reached his head over to place a kiss on my hairline, keeping the rest of his body at a distance. I walked with him to the window, our hands still clasped together. He lifted the window with one hand like it was light as a feather.

"Goodnight, baby." It always amazed me the way Jake was so generous with his affection. My fingers resisted as he pulled his away. A hint of a smirk lifted the edge of his mouth as he noticed how my body protested the loss of him.

He landed gracefully in the grass below and jogged toward the tree line. How long would it be until I saw him next? Why does the thought of it fill me with sadness? How can I look at Edwards face after what happened here today?

I dragged my feet back to my bed and hauled the heavy blanket over my now freezing frame and shut off the light.

Sighing heavily into the blackness, I hoped tomorrow would shine a brighter light on the dark cloud hovering over me.


	5. Hostility

**Hey all, sorry this chapter took a few days! I'm a silversmith by trade, and although my mind is on this story 24/7, my hands tire of keyboards and dream of hammers.**

 **Just wanted to throw this out there, I am ALL for constructive and/or negative reviews. I think honest opinions are the best way to develop yourself as a writer. However, I did receive an anonymous review from my last chapter where someone said they "couldn't be bothered" with this story because Jacob and Bella did not immediately forget about Edward and have sex. Never did I claim that this story was a** **oneshot, or that it would it would contain any type of sex at all (wink). Personally, I can't stand stories where there is NO type of character development and people just fuck and keep going at it the whole time. Get back to me once you've had real passionate, desperate sex after a slow burning buildup and fucking TELL ME it's not better. Anywho, here's the next chapter :)**

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I was awake but the pounding in my head stalled any urge to open my eyes. My body groaned as I stretched my muscles experimentally beneath the blanket. Did I run a marathon yesterday? A deep ache had cemented itself every limb, like a tell tale sign of an oncoming flu. I thought seriously about drifting off for a few more hours until an eerie sensation gripped me. Someone was here... someone was watching me.

A barely cracked a lid revealed a blur of pale porcelain. He stood, unmoving, golden eyes fixed upon the creamy pink sunrise through my window. Without the well-rehearsed rise and fall of his chest, it was easy to remember that he wasn't technically alive. Some small part inside of me that had never surfaced before recoiled at the thought. I pushed the feeling down as soon as I recognized it, immediately overcome with guilt and confusion that it was there at all.

I over exaggerated a yawn, hoping Edward would think I had just woken up instead of having just spent way too long staring at his unblinking eyes.

He turned toward me, lips pressed together in an uncharacteristically grim line.

"Did you sleep well after your tiring night?

My heart stopped in my throat and I constricted my facial muscles in a vice, praying they wouldn't give any emotions away.

"...What?" I replied, trying to pretend like I didn't hear him the first time.

"You know, with Angela?" His eyes locked onto mine, searching them for something.

"Oh yeah... I slept okay. I kept waking up throughout the night, so I don't feel very rested right now."

Edward released a long sigh, his head fell into his open palm and he scraped his fingernails against his scalp. Without lifting his head he turned his neck to look at me, disappointment flooding his features.

"You know, I had really hoped you would have come clean on your own. But I can see now that's not going to be the case." He kept his face neutral as he walked to my window, pushing it closed with a single finger and twisting the lock.

"I know that you've always had a soft spot for our young wolf." He looked directly at me, but his stare pierced right through my body, eyes glassy and sort of... crazed. "I've ignored it for too long. I know it wasn't your fault, that you were overcome by your human emotions." He pet the side of my hair and pouted his bottom lip out at me. "I can smell his scent all over your body, Bells." I flinched as he tried to pass Jacob's name for me as his own.

A desperate panic crept up my spine. "Edward wait, no, nothing happened. We didn't—"

"Shhhhh, shhh darling." He pushed a hard finger over my lips and I felt them scrape against teeth. "I don't blame you. It must have been scary having someone using their strength to influence you like that." He cooed like I was a small child.

I pulled my head backwards to escape the clamp he had on my mouth "Edward, please. Yes… I saw Jacob at the garage yesterday. The truck was making a strange sound and he looked over the engine. He gave me a hug goodbye. That's it, I swear."

He stared at me with a blank, unreadable face. After a few moments the painful silence was broken as he turned his head all the way to the right, neck cracking, all the while keeping his gaze transfixed on me. A dark chuckle escaped his cold lips and I noticed how his posture shifted into something... predatory.

He pushed himself closer to my ear as he whispered in the lowest hiss I'd ever heard from him "It's not just his skin that I smell on you, Bella. You reek of that dog's cum."

I froze in terror briefly choked on my tongue. I tried to block it out but my mind immediately replayed the guttural sound from Jake's mouth as he felt my walls slip around the head of his penis. I should have known that a washcloth wouldn't have been enough to mask the scent from Edward's keen senses.

A gnash of his teeth shook me from the memory. I knew he could read the blush spreading hotly across the plane of my cheeks. His upper lip curled into a sneer and his clenching fists tore a hole in my sheets.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" He spat, equal parts screech and whine. "I can't believe you let that DISEASED FUCKING MUTT infect your purity!" His expression contorted in disgust. "I've waited a hundred years for you! You were MEANT for me alone. Your virgin cherry was destined to be mine on our wedding night! You've soiled everything now, you lying whore!"

For the first time I saw Edward in a different light, like a veil had lifted, revealing his true self. His once smooth and glittering looked a sickly gray and the his entrancing breath, although sweet like candy, held hints of putrid decay, like a dead body right as it starts to turn. I wanted to beg him. Beg him to listen, beg him not to hurt me. Beg him to be the man I knew...

My body shook and Edward stilled himself, sending a tortured, menacing glance my way.

"You'll both pay for what you've done, for what you've… taken from me." Without another word he unlocked and lifted my window and propelled himself forward with lightning speed, sending a gust of wind through my hair to seal his departure.

I grabbed the pillow nearest to me and shoved my faced deep into its comfort. I sobbed for the severed trust between Edward and myself. The trust he had in our partnership now shattered along with my trust in the fact that he was anything other than a fearsome beast. Just yesterday he had been my world... my soul mate, my… better half. And now? A shudder twitched through every muscle as I remembered how quickly his anger bubbled to the surface. How violence had clawed from his skin, desperate for release.

I spent the next hour straightening my bedroom, purging all evidence that it had hosted any visitors that weren't me. The shredded sheets I folded tightly and shoved into my backpack. I retrieved a clean set from my closet and dressed the mattress, lifting the heavy comforter back over the top and smoothing the wrinkles with my palms. I almost laughed as I thought about placing a "Humans Only" sign on the outside of my window, if only Charlie wasn't so perceptive.

Speaking of my dad, his signature three-rap knuckle pattern tapped the outside of my door as he pushed it open. I wish he would knock and THEN come in like a regular person, but regular wasn't exactly Charlie's parenting style.

He stood dressed in his full sheriff uniform with an exhausted expression. I was surprised to see him awake so early, by the time I had finally fallen asleep around 2am, I still hadn't heard the familiar sound of his cruiser coming down the block. "Morning Bells." His voice scratchy with sleep and another emotion I couldn't quite discern.

"Heading to the station already?" I questioned.

"Two backpackers were just found murdered at the north hiking entrance of Bogachiel Park. Must have happened less than an hour ago."

"Oh my god! That's just outside of town, dad." A special kind of fear gripped me as my instinct started connecting dots my mind hadn't caught up to.

"I know. I'm heading there now to assess the scene and take statements from the guy who spotted 'em. I would feel a lot better if you weren't hanging around the house by yourself today. I just got off the phone with Billy. He's expecting you there within the hour."

Jacob had been clear pretty clear last night about needing some distance from me. He wanted to make sure that he knew what was going on with his Alpha before we got caught up in any more... compromising situations.

"Dad, I don't think—" I spoke, trying to find a way around his request.

"Bells, just... humor me." I pitied his look of pure exhaustion. "I can't focus on the job if I'm distracted worrying about your safety. As far as we know this creep could be on his way into town and I don't want you anywhere near it. Not sure how long I'll be working on this one today. Just spend the day hanging with Jake. Spare your old man the heart attack, will ya?"

"Okay, dad. Let me just get a bag together and I'll head that way. Please be careful."

He reached over and kissed the top of my hair. "Always am."

The cotton candy sunrise from this morning was long gone, replaced in the sky by rolling purple clouds. They looked angry but I didn't mind; they matched my mood. The frigid air hurried my movements toward my truck and I just knew that something ominous was brewing. I could feel it...in the weather... in my life. How I ached for the times before the supernatural guided my fate. Back when my days felt so painfully ordinary and I wished for something... anything interesting to happen. I prayed Jake would be absent from the reservation today. I needed time to think, to slow the rabid swirl of chaos in my head.

I hauled myself up into the cab of my truck, and twisted to hug the seat. The scene would be comical to anyone looking in, but I realized in that moment that she had been the only real constant in my messy life the past year. Unchanging and sometimes frail. Like a plain human in magic world... like me. Together we started our slow and bumpy journey toward La Push.


	6. Release

**So... It's been a little while! Holiday times are the busiest for my small business so updates will be few and far between for just a little while. But this story is definitely not forgotten! Hope you enjoy the new chapter. I absolutely enjoyed writing it.**

 **PS. I know this story has quite a few grammatical errors so far. I do my best to proofread, but some slip past me. Hope you'll forgive and understand what I meant to say anyway!**

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Not even fifteen minutes into the drive did the sky open up and release the downpour of the year. Unrelenting streams coated my windshield, making it almost impossible see the road in front of me. It didn't help that the wipers on my truck had one setting: slow. I was starting to reconsider the affectionate moment I had shared with her in my driveway.

I gripped the steering wheel with force until my knuckles grew white and ached from the pressure. I really didn't have too much confidence when it came down to me controlling anything with a motor. I felt grateful that I had made this drive a thousand times before or else I'm sure I'd be stranded in a ditch by now.

At long last a clearing in the trees at my left revealed the expansive stretch of sand that was third beach. It wasn't hard to see why the Quileute people thought this reservation a sacred place. The angry gray sky dropped gusts of wind to the sea like marionette strings, demanding that it dance beneath its wrathful influence. I squinted out at the frothy white caps and thought about how if God were a place it would probably look a lot like La Push.

A hostile crack of thunder struck somewhere too close to me and I pressed the gas pedal a little harder, anxious to duck out of harm's way into the safety of the Black's small familiar home.

The truck's large tires spun slightly in the mud of the long driveway, but managed drag itself as far as the entrance to the garage before digging the tires too deep into to the sloppy earth. I looked at the building's doors and forced myself to shake off the feelings of shame that still lingered remembering the events of yesterday. Yes, things got out of hand, but now I tried to think more of how overwhelmed Jake must feel. I can't imagine trying to fight against a constant, wild pull.

I jumped out of the truck and slammed the door behind me, starting on the long pathway to the front porch, my sweater immediately soaking up every bit of heavy rainfall that landed on my head and shoulders.

Through the onslaught of water I was able to make out a very built, russet form by the tree line behind the house. It seemed to be unaffected by the cold and steam lifted from its shoulders like a doused campfire. I knew I was staring at _him._

"Jake?!" I called from where I stood and the figure turned his head sharply toward the sound of my voice.

He jogged toward me and I watched him in slow motion. Swallowing hard, realizing I had begun to salivate at the sight of his sturdy rippling muscles as he shortened the distance between us. Why did he have this effect on me? When he finally reached me I heard his familiar voice.

"Bella? What are you doing out in the rain?! Are you crazy? It's 35 degrees out here and you're soaking wet. Come on, honey... let's get you in the house." Jake guided me toward the entrance to his house, his palm against my lower back, pushing a delicious heat into my abdomen.

I couldn't keep my teeth from chattering. I didn't realize the walk from my truck to Jake's living room would leave me feeling this chilled and incapacitated.

Jacob used his own body to nudge my frozen form past the threshold of the doorway, eyes burning holes into me as his long arm pulled the heavy deadbolt into a locked position behind his back.

"Jesus, Bella, your lips are turning blue." He spoke in a comforting tone as his eyes drifted from my discolored face to the puddle growing beneath my sneakers. "We need to get you warmed up."

"I'm o-okay. I s-swear. I just need t-to get used to b-being inside for a second." I managed to force out from behind chattering teeth.

Jake rolled his eyes at me before reaching one hand to grab the hem of my sweatshirt, the other grasping the tag of my zipper, pulling it down in one solid stroke. "I'm serious, Bella." He pushed the material over my shoulders and it dropped to the floor behind me, waterlogged and heavy. "The cold out here is no joke. Hypothermia can set in fast if we don't get your blood moving."

His warm palms lifted to cup my bare shoulders, massaging warmth into the top layer of skin. I exhaled a shaky breath and closed my eyes, relishing in the heat that gathered there. When my lids parted I saw Jake's face before me, his expression of concern unchanging. "You're still trembling and your skin feels like ice, honey."

He slowly pulled his arms down to his sides and he cracked each of the knuckles on his fingers with his thumbs. With a deep breath in and out through his nose, he reached for his belt, loosening the clasp and pulling it out from the loops on his shorts.

I instinctually took half a step back, vividly recalling the events of yesterday and how similarly he had just repeated the same actions.

"Jake..." I said warily, eyeing him as he pushed his pants to the ground, standing wet in nothing but skin-tight boxer briefs. "…What are you doing?"

His jaw clenched and he looked me square in the eyes. "Take off your clothes, Bella." He took a step forward. "Look..." he sighed apologetically "I'm sorry. I know this is probably... hard for you. After yesterday, I mean. But I've seen how bad this can get. You need to get warm quickly. You know our shower has always been shit and my high body temperature is the warmest thing for miles. Your clothes are soaking and they've got to go, sweetheart."

My rational mind protested violently but my body desperately latched onto any hope of heat.

"I'll hold the wolf back, baby. I just… I need to make sure you're okay." His eyes pierced mine from beneath heavy black lashes.

I remained silent but my frame tipped toward his, my numb toes losing traction on the floor. He caught me easily as I fell and knew the answer that I couldn't bring myself to verbalize.

"Shhh, honey, I know. You'll feel better soon."

His hands worked quickly, lifting the tank top over my head, and then guiding the saturated fabric of my pants over the curve of my hip and down my legs. I felt puffs of hot air graze my thighs as Jake crouched down to pull off my shoes along with the bunched leggings that clung to my ankles.

As he began to stand he grabbed the back of my thighs, lifting them off the ground and wrapping them around his sturdy, molten waist. I let out an audible sob as the fire from his skin licked the ice surrounding mine. He began to walk from the entryway to the small couch against the living room wall. He spun and lay down against the cushions, pulling me on top of him. Stretching his limbs, he created as much surface area to press against me as possible, all the while whispering soothing sounds into my ear.

Thought and reason were nowhere near my brain as I pressed my hands into the skin at Jake's sides, twisting my lower half so one thigh could push between his legs and the other could wedge itself between his outer thigh and the couch cushion. Cold water ran down the sides of his ribs as the soaking material of my bra pressed tightly against his chest. He didn't hesitate before reaching for the clasp behind my back, releasing the lingerie with ease and untangling it from my limbs. We both made small sounds of appreciation as my naked breasts pressed firmly against him. With one hand he pulled a small throw blanket from the back of the couch, spreading it over us to keep out the cold.

Large hands rubbed the expanse of skin from the base of my skull, down my spine, and over the round globes of my thong-covered bottom, pushing heat back into my muscles. He continued this movement for what seemed like hours until slowly regained the feeling in my body.

His fingers left my skin and pushed into my hair and for a moment I didn't realize his hands had stopped stroking my back and bottom. My vagina pushed against his thigh one time without following the guidance of his caress and I heard the breath catch in his throat. He fisted the hair in his hands and tilted my head upward enough to meet his gaze. His eyes searched mine deeply and I looked away in shame. Jake gently released his grip on my hair and pulled my head down to nuzzle the space between his neck and shoulder.

"It's okay, honey. Please don't be embarrassed." He cooed into my ear. "I know... I know what my body does to you." I grimaced against his pulse and started to shift in his embrace. His strong arms immediately stilled me and resumed their earlier movements, rubbing up and down as much area as he could reach. "I'm not making fun of you, Bells." His tone was serious yet loving, "I know you can't help any of this. It's my fault. But I love you. You don't ever have to feel ashamed. Please..." His whisper grew so quiet I could barely hear it. "Just take what you need."

On of his hands continued to rub my body and the other found its way between us, pushing the material of my panties to the side, allowing my wet skin to touch his inner thigh. The movement of his stroke shifted me enough that my lips slid back and forth over his leg. He made the decision, taking the pressure of the choice off my conscience.

I gasped hard at the initial contact but Jacob's strong hands kept the same steady pace, never wavering. I kept my face pressed hard against his throat, holding my breath and hiding in his safety. My body started to tremble for an entirely different reason.

"Breathe, honey." His voice was assured and confident. He knew what I needed and he was giving it to me.

My clit throbbed as it ground against Jacob's body and the room was silent aside from my breathing and the slick kiss of my pussy against skin.

"Jake… I…" Panic rose in my body as I felt something start to coil deep in my belly. He sensed my urgency and somehow knew.

"It's normal, Bella. I've got you. Just let it happen." I felt so confused, but encased in Jake's powerful arms I knew I was safe and protected.

His hands started to retreat as he realized that I was moving without help, and he encourage my own instincts with words of approval.

"That's right, baby" ... "Just like that" ... "Don't stop."

The exertion of my movements forced moisture from my pores and soon my breasts were slick with sweat and sliding against his chest, mimicking the feeling between my legs.

"Jake... I can't... I need" I panted and looked up at him wildly, trying to ask him for something that I didn't know to begin with.

He seemed to know that I was on the cusp, but needed something to push me over the edge. He grabbed my hips with both hands and used his body to flip us over. Instead of using his hands to push me up and down on this thigh, he began thrust his hips against me, keeping the same part of his leg sliding between my soaking lips. I could feel his cotton covered erection rub erotically against my lower belly and I struggled for breath.

Jake took advantage of my parted mouth and met it with his own, pushing his tongue deep inside. His dominant, muscular body play-fucking me against the couch along with his wet muscle penetrating my mouth became too much... I exploded hard into my very first orgasm.

I half moaned half screamed into Jake's mouth and he swallowed it, slowing the pace of his hips but keeping them moving, riding me through the comedown.

I laid there beneath Jake a ragged mess, completely spent in every sense of the word. My heartbeat pulsed in my ears and I clung to the beautiful, sweaty man on top of me.

"Jake... that was... I mean I don't..." I searched desperately for the right words.

"Stop. You needed this. This sexual energy between us was turning... dangerous. I'm not sure what's going on but we both know there's something supernatural behind it, Bells." He pulled up until we were both in a sitting position and he passed the blanket to me so I could cover my nudity. He laced our fingers together on one hand and pulled it to his lips, kissing the back. "Please don't regret this. You didn't do anything wrong. I had a strong hold on the Alpha today and you needed a release. Plus, being able to make you feel good makes me feel good." He smiled my Jacob smile and ran his thumb comfortingly over my knuckles.

"But Bella... why did you come here today?"

Our eyes locked as the memory of Edward's threat flooded my brain and fear gripped my heart.

"Jacob... Edward sort of... found out about you and me last night... and he..." I let out a heavy breath.

Jake shot up from the couch and I saw the evidence of what had just transpired in front of my face. My arousal coated his groin and dripped down his legs in heavy droplets. I looked up to his face to find him straining with clenched teeth.

"And he what, Bells?"

"He promised...revenge."


	7. Answers

**As always, thank you for sticking with me! All my love to those still enjoying my story.**

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I waited for Jake's reaction with bated breath. He had just displayed immense control over the past hour and I wasn't sure how long he could keep it up, especially now knowing that Edward had threatened me...

His eyes were jammed shut and he took long calming breaths through his nose while the muscles of his biceps flexed and pulsed.

I prayed that once his eyes met mine again they were still the same honey brown that made me feel so safe and cherished.

"Explain it to me, tell me what happened." He forced from his lips almost painfully. He was still my Jacob for now. "Did he... hurt you, baby? Is that why you came here?" He crouched down and began pulling at the blanket that was clutched by both hands just under my chin. Grabbing my face with long russet fingers he moved my head first to the left and then to the right. His eyes scanned over my chest and breasts, searching my body for any evidence of mistreatment. My cheeks flared hot under his inspection regardless of the fact that I had just cum all over his leg only five minutes ago.

Jacob started to pant as he removed my blanket entirely in his quest to find markings on my skin. I sensed that he was spiraling into a hole of concern for me and I jumped into action before the Alpha could. The Alpha who simultaneously wanted to violently dominate me and keep me protected and sheltered from harm.

I rejected the instinct to cover myself and propelled myself forward into Jacob's chest, wrapping both arms around his neck and fisting the short hair at the nape. "I'm okay Jake. Look at me; I'm fine. Shhh, calm down." I pressed my lips forward and lightly began to suck at the pulse point below his ear, rubbing my tongue back and forth across the skin. Some force deep inside me knew that this was the first step toward soothing the animal beneath the surface.

I wasn't sure when I had become so comfortable with Jake that I could hold him this intimately, but for some reason I felt an overwhelming need to touch and give him comfort. My thoughts were soon silenced by whispered words in Quileute and a soft rumble emanating from the male in my grasp.

The rumble turned to muted moans as I continued drawing hot skin into my mouth. Jake's arms circled my naked back, drawing soft patterns with his thumbs.

After a few minutes I released the hold I had on him with a pop of my lips, revealing the moist patch of dark pink that stained his milky brown complexion. I stared at it... confused. Why had I done that?

"Jacob?" I questioned, pulling my head back and resting my temple against his, suddenly overcome with a nervous energy.

"Hmm, Bells?" He replied with eyes closed, still caught up in his moment of bliss.

"What's happening? Why did I just... do that to you?" I asked him, gesturing to his shoulder with a turn of my head. The behavior was just too out of character for me to ignore. But in the moment, it had felt so natural. So _right._

He opened his eyes and peered into mine, confusion smudging his features as he recalled the way I had just suckled against him.

Bringing his hand up and across his chest, he drug a heavy finger across the new mark and the growing silence of the room was cut sharply by his startled inhale.

"I—I don't know, honey." He continued to rub it gently and his eyes rolled back with pleasure. "But we need to get dressed. It's time we visited Old Quil. He's got to know something about this. Come on."

I followed Jake as he led me down the narrow hallway, pausing as he ducked inside his bedroom to grab a small stack of clothing. With the garments in one hand, he used the other to open the bathroom door across the hall, ushering me inside and trailing behind.

Before I could open my mouth to question his following me, Jake once again gathered me into his arms and deposited me gently onto the countertop. He stood in front of me and brought my hair forward over my shoulders. I could tell without looking that his chocolate eyes were continuing their search in the mirror behind me for bruises on my back.

"Jake..." I sighed. "I promise you I'm okay. Edward didn't touch me." I reached up and ran my fingertips across the black stubble on his chin and my mind drifted to a memory of the younger, more carefree boy he had once been. It still shocked me sometimes to realize the strong and powerful man he had become almost overnight.

He closed his eyes and turned his neck to leave an open mouth kiss on the creamy pale skin of my thumb, lightly grazing it with his teeth.

"Bella, I just... I can't stand the thought of someone else touching you. You know that I've always loved you. And my wolf... well... he's claimed you as his...not physically...but in our mind." He spoke so raw and vulnerable. "All we want is to barricade you in my bedroom and hide you from everything bad and grow your belly round with puppies." The slightest tinge of pink highlighted his cheeks and he looked toward the floor.

Normally I would scold him for this kind of talk, but now I felt the need to soothe and be near him.

"Come on honey, let's get you dressed. Arms up." He changed the subject, bringing an old tee shirt of his sister's over my head to cover my breasts. He handed me a pair of his own pre-phase black sweats and said he'd wait for me in the living room to finish dressing. I threw my hair into a damp messy bun and took a cleansing breath, anxious to hear Old Quil's perspective on Jake and mine's situation. I knew we needed answers before... whatever this was... completely consumed us both.

The storm outside continued to ravage the landscape as Jake's Rabbit navigated the winding forest roads with ease. I felt relaxed knowing that his supernatural sight could easily pierce the rain and keep us on course.

I had seen the elderly man on quite a few occasions growing up near the reservation. When he spoke at all, which was rare, he spoke mostly in riddles I did not understand as a child. He tended to keep the company of those within his tribe, never engaging too much with untrusted outsiders. I wondered what his reaction would be when he saw me today...

A squatty brown cottage sat nestled against the bank of the river and smoke billowed from the chimney, filling the air with the thick scent of pine and incense. His home looked almost exactly as I had imagined it would, inviting yet ominous, like it held many secrets of the past, both good and bad.

Jake interlaced our fingers loosely as we walked the path toward the entrance, sensing my slight unease and need for reassurance. The front door, carved intricately with ravens and whales opened before we ever had a change to knock, and the white haired man from my memory appeared before us with a knowing expression.

"Young Alpha, miss Swan, I wondered when I'd see you two on my land." He turned around and walked into the house. Jake and I shared a confused glance and shrugged before advancing into the empty space he left behind.

We walked past shelves lined with jars of dried herbs and leather bound books with Quileute titles, heading toward an arranged circle of floor pillows at the back of the house.

"Sit. Let's talk of what troubles you." The old man shifted his wrinkle-rimmed eyes back and forth between the two of us. Jake took charge initiating the difficult conversation.

"We're here today to seek guidance." He cleared his throat before continuing. "My wolf is drawn to Bella... in a very... sexual way." The statement came out as more of a question. A slight blush once again painted his cheeks, but his voice did not falter. "More than once he has acted beyond my control, and I'm worried about how... far things might go. Honestly, I'm worried for her safety around me."

"And yet you have not imprinted on this woman?" Old Quil's curious gaze remained on my face as he spoke to Jake.

"No." My heart clenched at this known admission and Jake looked at me for a moment like he could tell. I knew I shouldn't feel bothered by this. "But the urge to claim and…mate ... is so strong. These feelings have always been reserved for those who are imprinted. I do not understand why my wolf will not let her be."

Quil's brow furrowed for a brief second before he reached for a large black book on a nearby shelf. He flipped through its tea-stained, tattered pages before stopping on a particular passage.

His eyes lifted to connect with Jake's. "She has marked you." It didn't sound like a question.

Jake lifted his fingers to trace the smudge of purple that my mouth had tattooed between his neck and shoulder. He said nothing.

The two men stared intensely at each other and shared whispered words in Quileute, and my anxiety grew astronomically being kept in the dark.

"No. I won't." Jacob exclaimed firmly as he moved his frame in front of mine, assuming a protective stance, the reason why I couldn't tell.

"The ritual is written, young Alpha."

My hand slipped into Jake's grasp as he pulled me toward the front door and away from the old man. His expression resembled something between fear and annoyance and I felt more confused than ever, but I let him lead me from the small home without any resistance.

He barely looked at me as we drove and I waited until the long dirt road turned to pavement before addressing him.

"Jake?" He sighed heavily in response, knowing I would seek explanation.

"Hey Bells." He flashed me a strained half-smile.

"Well... what did he say? I'm feeling like a deer in headlights over here. You've got to give me something?" I spoke with an expectant gesture of my arm, eyebrows raised.

Another loud sigh left his lips as he pulled the Rabbit off to the side of the road, running a stressed hand through his cropped locks.

"Old Quil keeps the full records of our tribal histories." He looked reluctant to share but continued to speak. "He found a passage within the texts... There was mention of a wolf who once laid claim upon a woman of the tribe without... fully claiming her."

"You mean imprinting?" I asked him. His eyes connected with mine with a slight nod of his head.

"Among other things." I blushed. "There was a ritual performed, like Quil mentioned. Where the shifter and woman spent a night alone under a full moon within a small cave reserved for spirit walking. It was there that a special blend of incense was burned to awaken the wolf within the man, but deny the full transformation to animal."

I tried to swallow the nervous lump in my throat.

"He believes that my wolf needs to confront you... face to face. That he is the one who needs to decide how to proceed when it comes to you... not me."

Jacob had always been able to read me and he took my silence for what it was, a fierce debate inside my own head.

He shook his head gravely. "I can't put you in that position, Bells. With Quil's incense and the full moon energy.. I won't be able to restrain myself if my wolf decides to... take it too far. I know he wants to. I can't hurt you again, honey."

I'm positive Jake heard the quickening of my heartbeat and reached across the center console to tenderly grasp my clammy hand, running his thumb across the thin skin of my knuckles.

After a few moments of silence I squeezed his hand back. "I think we both know that this is the only way to really find out what's going on between us Jake..."

"But Bella... I'm scared." He unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled my arm until I leaned toward him, bringing my cheek to cradle against his strong chest. "I promised to protect you from myself too, remember?" He whispered into my hair.

I mustered all the strength I could find and projected it into my voice.

"I will be okay, Jake. Whatever happens." He sighed a deep, uncertain breath and held me a little tighter than before.

"Then let's tell Quil to prepare. The full moon shines tomorrow night."


End file.
